VEGETABLE BIRYANI: A SUBSTITUTE OF CHICKEN BIRYANI FOR VEGETARIANS!

A timeless and evergreen culinary classic, Biryani is one dish that needs no introduction. India offers a wide variety of food on its culinary platter, which changes from state to state. However, the one dish Indians unanimously love indulging in everywhere is the mouth-watering Biryani in both its forms, i.e., vegetable biriyani and non-vegetarian biriyani. 

With local (and even hyperlocal!) variants having evolved into distinctive styles of biryanis, a foodie is often spoilt for choice when it comes to experiencing this finger-licking pot of flavors. Biryani's delicious and mouth-watering blend of flavors, spices, and aromas is commonly considered the zenith of Indian cuisine.

Origin of Biryani

There are various theories related to the origin of this delicious dish. The word "Biryani" originates from the Persian word "Birian," which means "fried before cooking," and "Birinj" which is the Persian word for rice. It's generally believed that Biryani originated from Persia and was brought to India by the Mughals. It was further tweaked, fine-tuned, and further developed in the Mughal royal kitchens.

How did Vegetable Biriyani originate?

Biryani was initially conceived as a non-vegetarian mutton delicacy, so even now, the perceived notion is that biriyani = mutton/chicken. Very little is spoken about vegetable biryani, as much public attention goes to the default non-vegetarian ones. 

But then, a very sizable population enjoys cooking, eating, and serving vegetable biryani. 

Undoubtedly, non-vegetarian and vegetable biriyanis are exceptionally tasty, textured, and delicious in their unique ways.

From everything we mentioned above, you can clearly understand how vegetable biryani has been derived and fine-tuned continuously from the original mutton/chicken biryani. 

It is generally said that the Mughals originally introduced biriyani to a predominantly vegetarian India. And as authentic Indian cuisines, till that point, were mainly composed of vegetables, spices, herbs, and other ingredients, with time, the entire process of cooking biryani evolved and began to be influenced by various Indian geographies. Consequently, vegetable biryani became one of the popular derivatives of the original biryani dish.

What's the difference between Vegetable Biryani and Non-vegetable Biryani?

Vegetable Biryani is an Indian rice dish cooked with lots of vegetables like bell peppers, peas, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, etc., prepared in spicy rice garnished with turmeric, garam masala, and other warm spices. Its preparation style and methods are almost identical to the original mutton or chicken biryani. The only difference here is that this Biryani is created with various vegetables, whereas the main ingredients in non-veg Biryani are mostly meat, chicken, and beef. 

For biryani lovers who are vegetarians, vegetable biryani is one of their all-time favorites!

Vegetable biryani takes less time to cook as compared to non-vegetarian Biryani. 

Non-vegetarian Biryani takes a long time to prepare. The meat gets marinated in yogurt with other spices before cooking. Then, they must be prepared separately before layering the meat, chicken, or beef with spices and rice.